Rules Meeting Policy

By Representative Council Action:

SECTION 8(B) – Each head coach of a varsity team in a sport under MHSAA jurisdiction shall complete (in person or online) the MHSAA rules meeting for that sport for the current school year prior to the deadline if meetings are provided and attendance is required. If the head coach does not complete a rules meeting prior to the deadline, that coach shall be prohibited from coaching in that season's MHSAA tournament for the sport involved and shall not be present at the facility where the MHSAA tournament involving that coach's team is being held. See Regulation II, Section 15(H) 4. An administrator or faculty member designee of that school shall be present with supervisory capacity over the school's competitors. Failure to receive reminder notifications (email or other) does not change the requirement of this Section.

SECTION 8(C) – Schools shall attest that all assistant and subvarsity coaches have completed an MHSAA rules meeting (online or in person) for that sport for the current school year prior to the deadline or, in the alternative, one of the free online sports safety courses posted on or linked from MHSAA.com and designated to fulfill this requirement. Assistant or sub varsity coaches, who coach more than one sport during a school year, must fulfill the requirement each season unless the sport is the same and the coach had completed the MHSAA sport specific rules meeting earlier in the school year for that sport (e.g. JV boys and JV girls soccer coach). Coaches who fulfill the requirement with an online sports safety course may not use the same course for credit more than once in any school year. It is expected that schools will impose the penalty of Section 8 (B) to assistant or subvarsity coaches who do not meet this requirement by the deadline.

SECTION 3 (B) – High schools must attest by each season’s established deadline that all varsity head coaches have a valid current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification. The established deadline shall be the latest date set for the completion of the MHSAA rules meeting for the sport. A person who is head coach for more than one sport during the school year must meet the deadline for the first of those sports. It is expected that schools will impose the penalty of Section 8(B) to varsity head coaches who do not met this requirement.

SECTION 3 (C) – Effective with the 2016-17 school year, each head coach of a varsity team in a sport under MHSAA jurisdiction hired for the first time as a head coach at any MHSAA member school after July 31, 2016 shall have complet-ed either Level 1 or Level 2 of the MHSAA Coaches Advancement Program (CAP). If the head coach does not complete CAP Level 1 or 2 prior to the established deadline, that coach shall be prohibited from coaching in that season's MHSAA tournament for the sport involved and shall not be present at the facility where the MHSAA tournament involving that coach's team is being held. See Regulation II, Section 15 H(4). An administrator or faculty member designee of that school shall be present with supervisory capacity over the school's competitors. Failure to receive reminder notifications (email or other) does not change the requirement of this Section. The MHSAA may substitute an alternative coach’s education program for late hires which will fulfill the requirement on a temporary basis.

NOTE: If a coach has completed a meeting preceding the fall season and that sport is conducted in another season for another gender, the coach fulfills the minimum requirement of this regulation for both sports. It is necessary for officials to attend rules meetings in person or online if they wish to be considered for tournament play in that sport. Officials who are extended invitations to officiate MHSAA Tournament contests in baseball, basketball, football, boys lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, and wrestling shall be members in good standing of a Local Approved Association.